Blood Let
by sarsha008
Summary: Just when Percy Weasley thought his day officially couldn't get any worse, the universe decided to prove him wrong. Or maybe it decided to give him something special, it really depends on who you ask. SLASH. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So I'm actually NOT dead, I know, It's a shocker! XD **

**Anyways, this is just an idea that's been floating around in my head for a while and it was refusing to leave me alone so I decided to 'what the hell?' it and throw it up here. So, Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

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><p>Percy was exhausted. After a long day tending to the seemingly endless list of problems and demands from his superiors and colleagues he was more than ready to drop. The Minister had randomly- without <em>any<em> warning- decided to take the day off, leaving the frantic redhead to rearrange his schedule for the entire week- month even- because nearly fifteen meetings and important conferences had been set and agreed upon for the day. And the rest of the week was equally as busy. He had had to make up quick, plausible excuses for the Minister's absence to the foreign dignitaries and representatives, while also working to complete the deadlines that _he _had to have completed for the day.

Then one of the obliviation departments was overwhelmed by an incident at some muggle concert or convention and Percy was the only one in the building qualified to manage the situation and file the massive pile of reports and formal apologies to the muggle government. _Then _one of the objects in the cursed and/or dark magical objects storage section was accidentally activated by one of the interns and- again- Percy was the only one with the qualifications to deal with the aftermath and reports. Almost all of the Department Heads were out of the country in meetings similar to the ones the Minister was _supposed _to be in so therefore Percy, as the Minister's direct assistant, was basically in charged of the entire bloody ministry for the day.

And- admittedly one of the absolute worse parts of the day- Percy had an unfortunate run-in with someone from his days at Hogwarts. Marcus Flint. The previous chaser had grown into a massive man, all towering height, bulging muscles, shaggy dark brown hair and clear, pale skin. And he hadn't come into the Ministry happy, of course not, apparently the universe had been determined to throw its worse at Percy because -of course- his one slip-up of the day just _had _to involve the man who had made his life hell in school. Then, after much more time than the smaller man could afford to spend on one incident, the brunette started making outrageous demands and accusations. Admittedly, it _would _have been politically correct for Percy to have stayed to deal with the matter properly instead of promptly dismissing the other man and attempting to storm off like a child, but regardless, Flint had _no _right to grab his arm and pull him back like some uncivilized neanderthal. Then the man had the gall to freeze and stare at his arm like all the secrets to the world were hidden amongst his freckles, like Percy actually had time to _waste _waiting for him. After a few moments of empty silence the lithe redhead had scowled and- with sickenly fake politeness- excused himself, once again turning to go. Flint hadn't stopped him, but Percy had felt his gaze resting insistently on his back as he walked away.

And- to top it all off- he had gotten just under two hours of sleep the night before, mainly because of the Minister's spontaneous decision to skip the day, which meant that he was forced to come in ridiculously early in order to alert the rest of the Minister's staff and recreate the entire month's schedule of set deadlines. He hadn't eaten all day because of the sheer magnitude of problems and complications that had came his way and- in order to get everything done- he had been forced to stay in late, again. Studiously working _hours_ past the ministry's closing time and the end of his shift. Now- at around 2:45- he was finally headed home after coming into work at 3:00 the previous morning. He had been working continuously- without breaks- for almost twenty four hours.

Needless to say, Percy was _exhausted._

His steps were slow and he was stumbling slightly though the halls towards the door of his flat, his vision blurring despite the glasses perched on his nose. His auburn curls were a mess- a drastic contrast to the sleek professional look he normally had them tamed into- due to him running his fingers through them in stressed agitation throughout the day. And his robes had lost the clean, pressed look from before, leaving them equally as rumpled as the rest of him. His shoulders sagged and he let out a muted gasp of pure relief as he stopped in front of his door, the familiar numbers gleaming comfortingly at him as he clumsily reached for his keys. After a few frustrating seconds of fumbling he was able to slid the key into the deadbolt, turning it and swinging the door open. He was just about to step inside when two hands shoved him from behind.

Percy fell, staggering forwards and hitting the ground with a painful 'thump'. Moaning softly he turned to look to look at the silhouette standing inside his flat, in front of his door. "What the-" The door slammed shut. And the man was still inside. Percy's eyes widened fearfully as he stared at the blurry figure in front of him, his glasses had fallen from his face. "W-who-"

"We need to talk." The man said, efficiently interrupting the frightened redhead. His voice was gruff but with undertones that hinted at a warmth and sincerity that were- Percy blinked. _I know that voice…_

"Flint?"

The lights flicked on and Percy was able to recognize the larger man, even despite his blurry vision, once he was bathed in light. He got up shakily, jumping as something was thrust into his hand only to relax slightly as he recognized the feel of his glasses. He put them on, welcoming the clarity they granted him. "Thank y-" He froze, _what the hell am I thanking him for?! _"You _asshole!" _Percy shook with sudden rage. "You unbearable, insufferable, self-intitled, miserable, invasive _sonofa_fucking_bitch!" _

Flint looked vaguely insulted.

"What the _hell _give you the right to break into _my _home?! What makes you think that this is in _any _way okay?! What the bloody _hell _Flint?! Is this because of earlier? Is this some delusional form of revenge because _you _froze up like an imbecile whe-"

"Are you even going to let me get a word in?" Flint interrupted, "Or are you going to scream all night," he leered suddenly, "Not that I wouldn't mind hearing you scream, for the right reasons, of course."

Percy gaped, staring incredulously at the man for a moment before starting to sputter. "You- you- arghh!"

"Don't hurt yourself Weasley."

He could _feel _his face reddening and Percy marched forwards, pulling himself up and deftly ignoring the fact the Flint towered over him by more than a few inches. "Now you listen here-" He jabbed a finger roughly against the taller man's chest before opening his mouth to fire off a few choice words when, suddenly, Flint's hand snapped out. Capturing Percy's and dwarfing it in his massive grip. The brunette then used it to pull Percy in harshly, leaving only a breath of space between their bodies before bending down to his level and speaking in a deceptively quiet voice.

"When I said that we need to talk, I meant that _you_ need to listen. So shut up. And _listen."_

Percy couldn't help the small whimper that escaped him and he barely- just barely- managed to fight down the irrational urge to submit to the larger- _stronger- _man at the power and dominance in his tone. Flint waited a moment, before nodding in approval and releasing the wide-eyed ginger. Neither of them stepped back.

"Now, are you going to listen?"

Glaring, Percy opened his mouth, "I-"

"Are you going to _listen?"_

The urge rose up in him again, pressing, drowning, suffocating, insisting that he submit, it took his breath away and a small noise of protest tore past his throat before he nodded. The sensation vanished the second he decided to obey.

"Good boy."

Outwardly the redhead bristled at the taller man's words but internally he was overwhelmed. The intense feeling of sheer pleasure at the approval in the other man's tone was strange, foreign and Percy was terrified at the reactions his body- and mind- had been having since his encounter with Flint had begun. Percy bit his lip, desperately squashing down the need to hear him say it again. "Just get to the point."

Flint seemed to struggle with something for a moment before all traces of hesitation vanished from his features, once again leaving him looking confident and strong. "I'm a vampire. And you're my mate."

He kept talking after that, his mouth moving and his hands moving along with his words but all Percy could hear was a muted, static buzz. It was like- somehow- he had gotten mounds of cotton or fuzz stuck in his ears because all sound was reduced to that horribly distant buzzing. Flint was still talking, seemingly gaining confidence at Percy's silence because his face was less closed off, less distant. But Percy still focused on _those words. _On _that _word. Mate. He knew what that meant, after years at spending all of his free time at Hogwarts in the library, how could he not? But he couldn't- wouldn't- comprehend how that word could possibly be connected to _him. _Nor what drugs Flint would have to have been influenced by in order to make this large of a mistake, after all, the books had always said that vampires could tell- could just _know _with an unwavering certainty who their mate was after just a touch. Skin to skin.

Although that would explain his stunned look in the Ministry when he had grabbed Percy, but it was much more likely that he was disgusted that he touched him, not that- not because- he _had_ to be wrong. There was no way- it wasn't possible- that _they _were mates. Mates were perfect for each other, complementing each other in every way. Balanced. Similar in all the right ways and different in all the wrong ones. But they weren't- they couldn't be- it didn't- it wasn't-

_We can't be mates. I-I- I can't be…. I can't be _his.

Suddenly Percy's distant, almost comforting, calm was gone. The world came rushing back in an overwhelming whirl of sound, noise, color and lights. All blinking and flashing and assaulting him. It was loud- so loud- all crashing and hammering against him like angry waves. His breath hitched. The words were there, swirling around in his head, maybe even in front of him- in front of his eyes- there. Just right there. Hovering, swirling, screaming, there. _You're my mate. You're my mate. You're my mate. _His vision narrowed, focused in on the suddenly frantic face of Marcus Flint, while all else faded to blackness. _You're my mate. You're my mate. _His heart was beating fast, very fast. Too fast. Was he running? _No… Marcus is still there. _The air had thickened somehow. Catching and dragging as he tried to gulp it down in desperate breaths, then, it fought him as he tried to expel it. He was choking on it, shoulders heaving as spasms wracked his body. _You're my mate. You're my mate. Mate. _Marcus was yelling something. His eyes wide and turning red around the edges. _Vampire's eyes turn red when they are extremely aroused, angry, using vast amounts of power or if their mate is hurting or in danger, _Percy remembered. _You're my mate… My mate… Mine._

Then the air was gone. And his heart was beating so fast it hurt, an endless battering against his ribs, like punches. It hurt.

Darkness was eating away at his vision, taking it like the air was taken. _Thief. _Percy thought as he watched Marcus disappear into the black, his eyes fully red and scared. Then it came back for him, pulling, coaxing him in. Feeling safe- so safe. So Percy stopped fighting it. Instead he followed it. Letting it pull him down, down, down, _down._ He was falling- slowly- like Alice did down the rabbit warren, or how it felt coming down from a controlled Wingardium Leviosa. It was nice- soft. And then it was gone. And Percy could feel nothing.

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><p><strong>Yay! Chapter number one! Let me know what you all thought by clicking <strong>**_every_**** writers favorite button and plunking out a quick (or lengthy... those are always nice too) review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**I swear that this is probably my fastest update ever... In fact I can damn near guarantee it! Wow. I'm impressed with myself... but don't get it in your minds that my updates will always be this fast, because they won't :) **

**Alright, so Enjoy!**

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><p>Percy woke in his bed, staring up at the plain white roof above him. For a moment he believed that it was just another ordinary day, one in which his alarm would ring in a few minutes and he would get up. Shower, eat breakfast and be dressed and ready to head to work an hour early, as per usual. But then he realized four things.<p>

One: There was a weight on his stomach, an arm. Somebody was in his bed, with him, and their arm- their very large, muscular, masculine arm- was slung possessively across his torso. And that arm was- thankfully- attached to a body. To be more specific, Marcus Flint's body.

Two: Marcus Flint was a vampire. And he had previously claimed that Percy was his mate.

Three: He had previously had a panic attack before passing out. Presumably earlier this morning, because it was highly unlikely that he would have remained unconscious for an entire day. And therefore he was much more than likely late for work, but the vampire that was currently using him a teddy bear and holding him down was most definitely not going to let him go.

Four: Marcus was awake.

He was staring at Percy with an unreadable look in his dark eyes. Yet he didn't move, staying still and unmoving, seemingly waiting for the lithe redhead to make the first move. And Percy couldn't help but get some strange feeling of warmth and safety building inside him as he realized the level of control that he would need to have over his instincts to be able to wait for Percy to adjust before checking him over. He knew that he had scared the larger man during his episode, he had felt it somewhere amongst the panic and fear. It made him feel as though he still had some semblance of control over his life, it made him feel like his opinion was respected. And that was amazing, because Marcus was evidently the dominant mate. That much was obvious from the urges Percy had been having, the ones that demanded his submission and obedience. He also recognized the rarity of having the urges before even accepting the bond, let alone consummating it, and he knew that he would need to talk about it but, after a lifetime of putting work ahead of all else, there was something he needed to address first.

"I'm late for work."

That actually got a somewhat startled laugh from the vampire. "I took care of it."

"W-what?" Percy stammered, tensing as he imagined Marcus gruffly telling- not informing or asking- whoever answered the floo or letter that Percy wouldn't be coming in. The man probably refused to give a reason! Maybe he just grunted out a distracted statement that contained the absolute minimum number of words possible that still somewhat resembled a sentence. _Oh Merlin, _Percy thought despairingly, _what if he didn't even bother to send out a notice? Oh! What if he didn't send out a notice! _Then the schedules and meetings he had painstakingly rearranged the day before came rushing onto his mind. _Oh… shit… I need to go in today. _"I need to go to work." He stated primly.

Marcus glowered, pulling himself up to glare down at the smaller man. "Too bad."

"Excuse me?!" Percy indignantly cried, pushing the Slytherin away from him and fighting to free himself from the covers. "You have absolutely _no _right to keep me here! This is _my _house!" Pausing, the redhead ran that thought through his head once more. "This is my house…" He glared at the larger man who was watching at him with obvious amusement as he stumbled from his bed, "what the hell are you still doing here?"

The other man growled and Percy shuddered slightly at the noise, hating himself for the reaction but being unable to stop it. "You passed out from oxygen deprivation because you worked yourself up into a state of absolute panic. Even if you weren't my mat-"

"Don't."

"-Even if you weren't my _mate,_ I wouldn't have left."

"Don't say that."

"What? _Mate?"_

Percy flinched, "Yes. _That. _Don't say it."

"Why?" The word came out as more of a snarl than anything else. "Its true, Percy. You _are _mine, I can feel it, and I'm not going to leave just because you're afraid."

"I'm _not-!"_

"Yes you are."

"I am NOT afraid of _you!"_

"Good. You shouldn't be. But you are afraid." He smirked, a small upturn at the corner of his mouth. "I can smell it."

"That's not..."

"Not _what?"_

"It's not _rational!"_

"Nothing about mates, soul bonds, love or-"

"Don't you _dare _throw love in there. Like it even applies in this- this _situation! _This has nothing to do with love or bonds or m-mates, this is a mistake! Your confused! Delusional! Nothing about us matches, we _can't _be- be-"

"But we are." And suddenly he was right _there. _Towering above Percy with their bodies almost touching, they were that close. Percy's breath hitched at the speed in which the larger man moved and his eyes slowly trailed up to meet Marcus'. He couldn't help but notice the intensity of them, dark and serious and deep. _Beautiful, _he thought distantly before recoiling mentally from the word. Then he- Marcus- was speaking again and Percy was transfixed by the sound of his voice, deep and warm, filled with a sinful smoothness that was accentuated by the slight rasp in his tone.

Hints of white flashed between words as he spoke and the subtle reminder of the fangs that were hidden there was much more attractive than it should've been. "You are mine Percy, I can feel it. I know it. You belong to me, and I belong to you, there is no doubt about that and I know that you can already feel the pull- the bond. I can see it in your eyes, such a beautiful blue, you know its there and you know that this is _right." _He reached out with one hand, lightly touching Percy's cheek, and- despite his best efforts- the ginger couldn't help but lean into the touch. "This is so right, can't you feel it? We are meant for each other, we were always meant for each other. We just couldn't see it before." That large, warm hand was cupping his face and one finger was brushing against his lips. Their faces were close, so close, and their breath was mingling together.

Then, suddenly, the finger was pushing past his lips and entering his mouth. Sputtering in shock, Percy went to pull away harshly, only to stop as Flint started to pull it out slowly, dragging it along his bottom lip before thrusting it back in. A strange, undeniable urge was rising up in him due to the motion. It was strong and irresistible, like some important and deeply ingrained instinct that denied all logic and was impossible to deny, telling-demanding- him to follow, to obey. It was urging him to close his lips around it, to caress the digit with his tongue and _suck. _

It was insistent, needy and it felt so, so right. So he did it. Eyes fluttering closed as he moaned softly, leaning in and pulling Marcus' finger in deeper, kneading it with his mouth and tongue. Whining softly in protest as it was pulled away before willingly opening his mouth wider when another finger came back with the first. He was suckling both of them, running his tongue between them and relishing in the breathless, rumbling approval that his actions drew from the man in front of him.

"That's a good boy." Flint's deep voice was breathless and full of a sweet affection that- after a moment- seemed terribly out of place.

Percy's eyes widened as he came back to himself, pushing away from the larger man with a muffled shout and stubbornly fighting down the urge to follow the fingers as they slipped from his mouth.

"W-what was that?!" His voice was hysterical and he scrambled backwards, stopping only when his back touched the wall behind him. "What the fuck was _that _Mar-Flint?!" _When did I start calling him Marcus? _Slowly, he raised his frantic blue eyes to look at the man standing across from him.

The larger man was still standing in the same spot, his eyes still held the remnants of the lust that Percy knew had echoed his own moments before, along with a look of desperate longing, and one of his hands was stretched out. Almost as though he had been reaching for the redhead as he had retreated. As Percy watched the hand dropped slowly-hesitantly- back to his side.

Marcus was silent for a few moments, his mouth opening slowly as though he was going to speak only to close again as he evidently decided that it was the wrong thing to say. Then- finally- he spoke. "That- um, that was the bond." a heavy pause, "When vampires find their mates, there normally isn't the same waiting period as other species, erm, the bond has to be consummated within the first year of discovering one another." He licked his lips, fidgeting slightly. "So, heh, instincts play a role in speeding up the courting process…" He trailed off, looking at the stunned redhead imploringly.

Percy blinked, purposely pushing the implications of that statement aside and choosing to focus on something more trivial instead. "_That _is what you call courting? That was not courting Flint." He paused, a slightly wistful look growing over his features. "Courting is sweet, gentle, flowers and dates and gifts-"

"You want to be courted like a _girl?"_ Patronism practically oozed from his tone.

"What?! No! I just- I like the tradition behind it…"

"Good." He smirked, letting his gaze slowly rake over Percy's body. "I don't like girls much." Then he turned and walked past Percy towards and out the bedroom door.

Leaving Percy staring after him with confusion written over his features. "Flint?"

Silence.

"...Flint?"

The redhead slowly walked to through the door, peeking around the corner for the taller man.

"Um… Hello?"

Silence.

Percy frowned, "Flin-"

"I'm not answering unless you call me by my name." The other man's deep voice came from right behind Percy and the smaller man yelped, jumping slightly at the sudden noise and spinning to face the vampire.

After a few moments the redhead regained his composure, and glaring up at the taller man stated snarkily, "Flint _is _your name."

"My _first _name."

"No."

"Its not th-" Suddenly he stopped, obviously running Percy's refusal over in his head. "Why? I call you Percy."

Said redhead laughed bitterly, "Oh?" his eyes narrowed. "For all of a few hours, you mean."

"Yes. Since I discovered that you're my mate."

"You think that _that _is a good enough reason?! You think that being _mates _can just magically erase years of bad blood between us?" His hands curled into fists. "You made my life at Hogwarts a living hell_, Flint_. What makes you think that a- that _this _will make it all ok?!"

Marcus' beautiful, dark eyes were purposely blank, but Percy could see the regret buried within their depths. "Because we are meant to belong to each other, and we always have been. Even back then, even before I was changed. But we- I mean- I didn't understand what this pull meant, and I misinterpreted it. I didn't know what to do with the jealousy I felt back then, whenever you talked with someone or laughed with them, it killed me and I wanted you to notice me. So I- I did whatever I could to get you to. Even if it wasn't the right type of acknowledgement." His hands were nervously fisted in his pockets and- until this point- he had refused to look Percy in the eyes. "I need you Percy. I know that now. And I will do everything I can to make things right between us."

Percy was frozen. Fighting down the flood of emotions and memories and that horrible- wonderful- sense, feeling, knowledge that was _screaming _that he needed him too. His bright blue eyes were filling with desperately conflicted tears, and they refused to be contained, spilling slowly onto his cheeks. He choked, a soft, almost broken noise and seconds after it left his mouth two impossibly strong arms were wrapping around him. Pulling him tightly against Marcus' broad chest.

He couldn't help but respond to the warm, comforting embrace, so the lithe redhead snuggled in, wrapping his arms around the larger man's neck and pulling himself as tight to him as physically possible. He hadn't been hugged in so long. And it felt so _good _to be held, especially by Marcus.

The vampire tightened his grip, making a low, reassuring rumble deep in his chest and rubbing his hands gently up and down Percy's back. "Shh, It's okay Perce. I've got you."

It felt so safe, being enveloped in Marcus' arms. Safer than anything he had ever experienced before, it felt so _right _to be close to him. To breath in the intoxicating smell of something indescribably _Marcus. _

It felt too right, too soon and too familiar. And that terrified Percy.

The thought of already- after less than a day- feeling so complete with his childhood nemesis, was too much.

"I- Marcus?" he couldn't help but use his given name, their closeness felt too intimate for anything else.

"Yeah?" There was a smile in the larger man's tone.

"I need some time."

"...What?" Marcus tried to pull away slightly, presumably to talk to Percy face to face but the redhead whimpered slightly and pulled him back in tighter. "Percy, I don't understand…"

Percy buried his face into the junction of the larger man's neck and shoulder before mumbling out something that would have been indistinguishable had the brunette not had incredibly enhanced hearing. "I need to be able to think about this, to wrap my head around it." He lifted his head slightly. "I need to do some research, to understand and to- to I just need to be able to _think. _And I- I can't do that with you here."

"Percy…"

"Just for a little while, a few days! I just- I can't- I don't-"

"I get it Perce. You've always needed to figure things out for yourself but-" His voice shook and he tightened his grip on the smaller man. "But you can't take too long, ok? I want to get to know you- to understand you better before the bond is completed."

"Just a few days." Percy murmured, pressing even closer to the other man.

Marcus nodded in agreement, resting his chin on Percy's curly red hair.

They stayed like that for a few moments, wrapped in the embrace until finally Percy softly whispered, "You should go." He tightened his grip on the larger man.

"I know," he whispered into the redhead's auburn curls. "But you're gonna need to let go first." Even as he said it he pulled his mate in closer, breathing in his scent and revealing in the feel of him.

"I-I don't want to." His voice shook. "I don't want you to go, but I need you to."

"I know." The words were nothing more than a whisper. "You need to get some rest, I talked to the secretary at the Ministry. You pulled a full day shift yesterday."

Percy laughed quietly, "I know."

Marcus let out an amused growl before pulling away, gently prying the reluctant redhead off of him. Once there was some space between them he smiled sadly, and the he was gone. Leaving his words to linger like shadows in the air. "Goodbye Percy."

"Bye Marcus…"

Those words seemed to open a flood gate inside of him, releasing all the exhaustion and pure _tired _from wherever it had been lurking previously. Percy went to bed. Forgetting about work entirely while he desperately tried to control the emotions that were violently fighting back and forth inside of him.

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><p><strong>And there's the end of chapter two... What did you guys think? Plunk out a comment to let me know! <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! This can be taken as a belated X-mas and New Years present... Sorry for the kinda lateness, even though I never said when my next update would be :) Enjoy!**

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><p>Percy woke with a start. Lurching upright and breathing heavily, hands buried in his auburn curls as he calmed down and rested his elbows on his knees. Working to control his rapid breaths. After a few moments he found his composure, forcing the stilted, dust-filled memories of blood and screams away. Relaxing slightly only to tense again as another memory flashed briefly before his eyes, the rumble of falling stone and the almost death of his brother. His chest was heaving and his eyes were clenched shut as he leaned forwards, resting his forehead on shaking knees and desperately reminding himself that the war was over. Staying curled around himself quietly, he allowed- forced- his mind to wander. Flickering through random thoughts of work, passages from his favorite books and notes from his research all washed over him, pulling his mind away from the lingering screams from his dream. A small smile spread hesitantly across his face as he thought of the subject of his research, the reason behind it, the person behind it. The man that he had told to leave.<p>

As he remembered that one fact- that Marcus was gone- Percy's smile faded, as he got out of bed he forcibly reminded himself that _he _had asked- begged- him to leave. After resolving the daily guilt-filled, regretful mental argument he had with himself consistently- since Marcus left- Percy striped, throwing his clothes in the laundry hamper, and made his way to his bathroom. More specifically- the shower.

He quietly waited for the water to warm up before slipping under the spray. A few days had past since he had asked Marcus to give him some time, to think, research and try to adjust to the sudden bond that had literally sprung up overnight. After taking that one day off- although it really hadn't been his decision- he had spent the rest of the week working minimal hours. Much to the shock of his coworkers. But researching the situation he had found himself in had- for obvious reasons- become a priority. A very distracting priority, mainly because all Percy could think about was the strong, handsome and sexy vampire that had claimed _him, _but also because of the increasingly more and more noticeable pull of the bond.

Percy knew that the pull was getting stronger because of the distance between them, newly formed bonds needed- or rather, wanted- closeness, physical touch seemed to be very important to Daywalkers. Which Marcus was, Percy was actually rather annoyed that he hadn't managed to put that together sooner, the fact that their first encounter in years had happened in broad daylight was a dead giveaway.

_Although, I didn't actually _know _he was a vampire then… And after that I was a little bit overwhelmed by the whole 'you're my mate' reveal. Honestly, for a Slytherin he doesn't seem to be one for the subtle approach. _Percy smiled as he rinsed his hair and shut off the shower head, reaching for his towel before drying off and exiting the bathroom.

_The abruptness could have been a result of the pull, I've read that vampires aren't ones to hesitate or dance around the truth once they find their mates. Unlike other species… _

Grinning like an idiot the lithe redhead allowed allowed that thought to run through his head again. Sometimes it still felt like a dream… or hallucination, he certainly had been tired enough for that to be an option. But the bond was a constant figure in him now, he could feel it at every moment in the day, he could feel Marcus. Distantly of course, that was another fact he had come across in his research. There were almost stages to a fully developed mate bond between a vampire and their chosen, first the mate had to accept the bond, which Percy had inadvertently done sometime between finding out about it and Marcus leaving. The other stages weren't as clearly defined, in fact they weren't defined at all. The books- all of the books- only had a small passing mention of them, a quick, little, glossed over, joke of a bloody paragraph that contained no actual information about anything.

Evidently the Vampire Council liked to keep the information that was available about their species to a minimum, much to Percy's annoyance.

He had been _lucky_ to find anything that wasn't written by some thick, biased scholar that obviously had major prejudices about vampires, or just dark creatures in general.

And his 'luck' had run out after finding only one reliable source.

And that source was minimal to say the least. The author of the book was long dead, by about one hundred and six years, so while the information was unbiased and undoubtedly accurate for the time frame for which it was written, it was more than likely outdated now. In fact Percy knew it was outdated, because some of the passages contained information that had been proven false in the last century. Such as the ridiculous notion that garlic was able to ward off vampires, or be used to poison them. And it was only recently that the Ministry discovered the existence of Daywalkers- it had been affirmed nearly fifty years ago during a meeting between the undead council and the Minister at the time, they had been negotiating some bill that Percy hadn't been able to discover the name of when some idiot got it into his head that he should assassinate the vampire representatives by opening the drapes. None of them burst into flame because the council- as Percy had found out during an incredibly in-depth review of the Ministry's files- had expected an attempt on their lives, so they had sent Daywalkers instead. After the blatant disrespect of the truce that had been agreed upon and even formally signed, the Council had decided to permanently remove all clauses and possibility of the wizard population holding power over them.

All cases of discovered mates, unnecessary kills and crimes committed by any breed of vampire had become the Council's issue, an issue that neither the muggle government or the Ministry had any say or power in. During this separation all books and files that contained any relevant information had been promptly removed from the system and all copies had been hunted down and confiscated. But, somehow, the purge had missed one book.

The one that Percy was currently holding gently. So- because of the unfortunate timeline- the one useful book in the entire bloody world, that wasn't in a vampire's possession, held absolutely no information on the only breed of vampire that the redhead actually needed information on.

Percy grinned wryly, _at least its informative on everything else. Not what I need, but its something better than a shitty rumor-based article written by some moronic professor with a serious problem with any species other than wizard. _Then he sighed, leaning forward to place the priceless book on his desk before pushing his glasses out of his way and rubbing at his tired eyes. A straight week of purely research and work had taken its toll, it seemed impossible for him to get enough sleep, and his vision tended to blur after only a few minutes of reading. Percy sighed again, glancing around his flat at the countless books and rolls of parchment that were scattered over every available surface. _I hate to admit it- even to myself- but I think I need a break. _

Cringing at the thought because the concept of "too much research" was one that he was an adamant disbeliever in. But even he could admit that- while one could never know enough- breaks were necessary, and he was experiencing too many of the signs of overload to stay buried in all of his books. He glanced longingly at the book resting temptingly on his desk for a moment before forcing himself to get out of his chair and walk away.

_Alright. I have put the books down. I have walked away from the books. _Nodding distantly to himself as he continued on his path. _And now I am… now I am going to… _His purposeful strides were rapidly moving into a disgruntled shuffle as he desperately tried to think of something. Something other than the dangerously appealing word that had been haunting his thoughts for the past week. Something other than Marcus. Because he still didn't know enough yet, about their situation, about the bond and about the feelings he had that had literally sprung up overnight. It had happened so fast and even after a week of half-heartedly attempting to repress those emotions and thoughts he still couldn't stop thinking about the impossibly sexy man that had claimed him.

Because an entire lifetime of doubts and insecurities were making it impossible for him to understand how he could be significant, how he could actually be _worth _something to somebody.

How somebody could actually care about him? Nobody who wasn't practically obligated to _ever_ had. His parents had to because he was their son and his siblings had to because their parents wanted them to and Oliver had because- because, well, Percy didn't actually know but it was probably because of pity. And Penny had because- because of pity too, probably.

But nothing else made _sense. _There was nothing- _nothing!- _special about him, nothing that could possibly draw anybody to him. He knew that. The twins had made sure of that, and everybody else had to think it too, they were most likely too polite to actually say anything to his face. And it was because of this that Percy was so reluctant to let Marcus lose himself to whatever delusion was making him think that _he _was his mate, it _had _to be a mistake. And Percy was determined to find out exactly what it was that was making the taller man want him, and he was determined to end it. He owed it to him. Because nobody deserved to be stuck with _him_, with Percy Weasley, the stuck-up, pompous prat; a waste of skin. And regardless of how wonderful it had felt to be wrapped in Marcus' arms and how right it felt to be with him, Percy was convinced that he didn't deserve it, and that Marcus deserved better.

Because it didn't make sense.

_They _didn't make sense.

And it had been stupid of him to believe- even for a moment- that the bond was real, because it couldn't be. In fact, it was probably another one of the twin's pranks. He had no proof of it but ever since he had been accepted back into the family they had been especially nasty. But he accepted it and said nothing about it to anybody else because he knew he deserved it. But involving another person was sick, and he had to fix it for Marcus' sake, but- unfortunately- he couldn't go to the twins and get them to release the other man from whatever enchantment they had placed on him.

He never went to the twins after they did something, it was part of his punishment. He had to laugh about it and pretend it was funny and that it didn't hurt him because he deserved it. All the pain and humiliation and the toying with his emotions, he deserved it for abandoning his family. But the twins were the only ones who seemed to understand that, even though they've never actually said anything about it or told him to pretend. But he knew he was supposed to, because they acted like nothing was wrong too.

They smiled and laughed with him, they acted normal, they treated him the same as his other siblings did by pretending to have forgiven him and- in exchange- he never let anyone know just how much they hurt him. And _that _made sense, Percy knew it did, but he couldn't understand why they had drug another person into it. They never had before.

Maybe it was because they knew how starved for any kind of human contact and affection he was, after all, he had always been the outsider in the family and leaving had only isolated him from pretty much everybody else too. Before Marcus had embraced him with his perfect, strong and shockingly warm arms, Percy hadn't been held in years. Maybe the twins knew that, and maybe they thought that playing with his need for affection was a perfect punishment. And it was, it was killing Percy. Feeling the constant bond inside him, the subtle brushes of it against his consciousness and the softness of Marcus' end of the bond reaching out to him. It was destroying him.

Because he knew it was fake, that the taller man didn't actually want or need him and that he was just confused. He had to be. And that hurt, it hurt so bloody much but Percy knew he deserved it, and he also knew that Marcus didn't. Which is why the absolute lack of a definite description of what a real Daywalker bond was like was making it next to impossible for Percy to find a way to release the vampire from their mock-bond. The lack of information was infuriating.

There was nothing he could possibly do to find the information he needed alone. Nothing but contact the one definite source of knowledge of a true vampire mate, and since the man was just as involved in the situation as he himself was, Percy had no problem with the idea of sending Marcus a request for information. He was just worried that the brunette wouldn't believe him, after all, vampires were said to never be wrong about identifying their mates. But Marcus _had _to be wrong, because Percy didn't deserve him. So, with a deceivingly sure stride, the redhead returned to his desk and withdrew a fresh piece of parchment from a drawer, sitting carefully and grabbing a quil. Then, with a steady hand, he began to write.

_Marcus Flint,_

_I know this letter won't contain what you want it to, and I know that you will find it hard to believe me at first, but what I am about to write is the truth. I'm sure of it, because it is the only logical explanation for this bond we are experiencing._

_I've spent the last week researching, as I said I would, but the information available to the general wizarding population is regrettably lacking. And almost none of it contains any viable truth. Which is why I am contacting you._

_I need information. On this bond, on Daywalkers and their mates, on pretty much everything. Without it I am certain that finding a way to release you from this mockery of a bond will be impossible, and you don't deserve that. Your true mate is out there somewhere and I promise you that I will stop at nothing to fix this, I owe it to you. I don't know what enchantment has ensnared you but I'm positive that a more in-depth study of a true Daywalker matebond will allow me to accurately study the differences and therefore deduce exactly what it was that caused you to become so confused. I'm sure you will be relieved once this has been resolved and I apologize greatly for this misunderstanding, and for you unwittingly being drawn into this._

_Please remember that none of this is your fault. I know that once you are free of the curse that has bridled you to me you will be able to find your true mate, all of this is probably my fault. Which is why I willingly take full responsibility for the resolution of it, all you need to do is send me the necessary information and I swear I shall take care of the rest._

_I'm so, so sorry you got pulled down because of my problems. It was never my intent to allow someone else to suffer because of me. _

_Feel free to send whatever information you chose at whatever time is most convenient for you, I have inconvenienced you enough already. I will begin working on this immediately._

_Sincerely,_

_Percy Weasley_

Quietly reading the letter over once, then twice, Percy grimaced at the repetitive nature of his words before deciding that property was a necessary sacrifice for sincerity. So he sent a memo to the post office, requesting the use of an owl before sealing the letter in a envelope and offering to the bird upon it's arrival.

It- she- hooted softly twice before grasping the letter and flying off once again. And Percy watched her go, the knowledge that he was doing the right thing still heavily outweighed by the sinking feeling of regret and despair that lurked in his gut. There was nothing he could do to stop the tears that were running down his cheeks or the tremors that wracked his body as he watched the tiny owl vanish into the clouds.

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><p><strong>I'm sorry... Not really, but kinda in an insincere "I'm just saying that to avoid a virtual angry mob" way... Hehe, well please review! Let me know what you thought! <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay between chapters, I've been busy and for some inexplicable reason getting past chapter number three has always been a problem for me. In every fic I've ever written. **

**...So really, you should all be overjoyed and incredibly proud of me for breaking the 'Curse of Chapter Three' for the first time EVER. Because I'm proud of me. This is kind of a big deal!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"<em>What <em>is _this."_

Percy stared, blinking owlishly at the piece of paper that was being angrily thrust in front of his face as the man holding it practically _shook_ with rage. He hadn't expected _this _when he opened his door. But evidently the soft, polite knock had been a ruse, because he had been expecting anything- _anything- _other than this. The man in front of him was emitting a tangible charge of emotion and anger towards the redhead, and it rippled down the bond, slamming into the smaller man with an undertone of hurt. Percy could only stare with a confused look on his tear-stained face.

"Percy. Answer me." Marcus growled, his red eyes gleaming."_Now."_

"I-I-" He stuttered, eyes wide and full of an innocent bewilderment. "Marcus? W-what are you doing here?"

"What am I...?" The words dissolved into a furious growl. "How can you ask that?! You know exactly why I am here!"

"I do?"

Marcus growled. And Percy flinched back in response, dropping eye contact and staring fixedly at a random point on the floor by his feet. As his gaze was locked onto the floor in front of him Marcus moved forwards, scooping Percy up and depositing him out of the way as the larger man angrily slammed the door shut behind him. Locking it with a muttered spell.

"Yes! You do! Its because of this Percy!" He thrust a crumpled piece of parchment in the redhead's face, shaking it harshly. "_This!" _

Percy quietly reached out and grasped the hand in front of him, stilling it long enough to get a good look at the crumpled parchment before blinking up at the furious and hurt face looming above him. "This… this is my letter."

"Wow. Your observation skills are _astonishing."_

"I don't-" Percy halted his words, gasping slightly as realization overcame him. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I should have been more clear! You didn't need to come here to deliver anything, and there was no rush for any of the information. I believe I said 'upon your convenience' in my letter, and I truly meant it! Its not your fault that you're confused, I know that, trust me I do. And that's why I'm handling this, all of it, and I _will _fix it. I promise! This is just the product of a stupid prank and I think I know who's responsible… but that doesn't matter because I can figure out how to end it without breaking our- without disturbing them." He took a breath, nervously meeting the taller man's still-red eyes. "But I will go talk to them first… If you want me to, I mean. Because you're involved in this too and its my fault so I'll do whatever it is you want me to in order to-"

His ramble cut itself off as he took in Marcus' disbelieving look. Confusion and a hint of understanding were rushing through the bond. _Mock-bond. _Percy forcibly reminded himself as he watched the red slowly drain from the large vampire's irises. Realization came through moments later and the redhead could feel the beginning of anger trailing behind it, but this anger was different from what had bombarded him when Marcus had first arrived. This anger seemed to be directed at someone, or someones, else.

Percy opened his mouth to speak but he was silenced when the man before him pressed a finger to his lips. The vampire was quiet for what seemed like endless moments, his red-tinged orbs slowly scanning the redhead's messy flat. Observing the scattered papers and disheveled piles before fixating on the overflowing desk. Percy shifted nervously, desperately wanting to run over and hold his book protectively to his chest, but he could feel soft warnings stating _stay, don't move, stay_ coming from Marcus' end of the bond. _Mock-bond. _It took a long time for the larger man to turn back to him, and when he did Percy felt the unreasonable urge to reach out and hold him, to be held. He pushed the urges down, focusing on Marcus as the man began to speak.

"You-" He swallowed, "you have absolutely no idea why I'm so angry. Do you."

It wasn't a question, but Percy answered it anyways. "Of course I do! You're mad because you've been pulled into this and… because I bothered you."

"Oh, Percy… No. That's not-" He shook his head, cutting himself off before raising his suddenly sad eyes to meet Percy's. "That's not it at all." Enveloped in his confusion over that statement the lithe redhead didn't noticed that he had moved until Marcus was only a few devastating inches from him. Blue eyes wide he started to move away, only to be quickly pulled back into the brunette's strong arms. He gasped, pushing away slightly in a futile struggle as Marcus pulled him in even closer, cradling him in an unbearably sweet and addictive embrace. His heart was pounding wildly as his body automatically relaxed into the muscular form holding him, his hands were still pressed against that broad chest, feeling powerful muscles ripple beneath them. One of the vampire's large hands was slowly rubbing up and down his back, sending comforting vibes and too-warm feelings rushing to overwhelm him.

"M-Marcus stop! This- this is because of a spell!"

"No its not."

Percy sputtered, "Yes it is!" His body finally began to listen and he tried to pull away from the other man's warmth. "Marcus! Let me go!"

There was a pause, then. "No, I don't think that I will."

"I- Excuse me?"

"No. The last time I did that you managed to convince yourself that everything about this bond is because of a prank. You were so scared that you managed to force yourself to believe that you don't deserve something like this. And then you tried to tell me that I was wrong and that I should just calmly _back off_ and _allow _you to try and pick apart our bond! So _no _Percy. I'm not letting you go."

"You can't just _hold onto me!" _

"Mmm…" Marcus shifted slightly, pulling Percy up off the ground- smirking at his indignant squeak- and burying his face in the smaller man's neck. Inhaling his scent. "And why's that?"

"Because I'm a person! Not a pet!" He shouted, squirming against the arms wrapped around him and simultaneously fighting against the parts of his brain that were urging him to snuggle deeper into the embrace. His arms moved without his approval, reaching up and snaking around his mate's neck.

A triumphant feeling of satisfaction and a touch or relief came through their link at both Percy's movement and his unintentional use of the word 'mate' to identify Marcus. Although their thoughts were their own and inaccessible by one another, the bond allowed Marcus to get the gist of what had been running through Percy's mind. "No, not a pet. But you are _mine_ Percy, just as I am yours. And I am not going to let you forget that." He inhaled deeply, tugging the redhead in just a little bit closer for a moment before reluctantly putting him back on his feet, although his arms remained around the shorter man.

"I- this is because of-"

"Finish that statement. I _dare_ you."

Percy gasped, shuddering softly at the deep growl in which the words were uttered, they carried an underlying sense of strength and dominance that- he was ashamed to admit- caused the beginnings of arousal to make themselves present. At Marcus' laugh the ginger pushed away from him, trying to keep the shock off his face as the stronger man let him. He glared at him, his blue eyes narrowed and dark, before setting his jaw and starting to speak. "We are both feeling this way because of some kind of prank. The sooner you understand that the sooner we can-"

"Well. Looks like I'm taking you home with me today." Marcus interrupted once again.

Percy blinked, "Pardon?"

"I'm taking you home with me." He pronounced each word slowly, his mouth turning up into a devilish smirk. "Start packing, or I will."

"I'm sorry…. but I think you're confused, and potentially delusional…" Bewilderment over the sudden, and unexpectedly random topic change stilted his thoughts for a moment as he tried to wrap his head around the deceptively cheerful smirk on the vampire's face. "How, exactly, did you go from me re-informing you of the nature of our predicament… to you deciding that I should just pack up and go with you?!"

The larger man was ignoring him, walking through the flat towards Percy's bedroom. Leaving the flustered redhead to stare after him in shock.

"Marcus!" He quickly hurried after him, entering his bedroom to find the prat pulling a duffel bag from the top of his closet and placing it on his bed. Percy stared. Watching as he started opening drawers and rifling through them, occasionally pulling out an article of clothing and placing it inside the bag before moving on to the closet. Grabbing and folding Percy's ministry uniform before carefully placing the robes in the bag. "_What _are you _doing?"_

Marcus rolled his eyes, placing a few pairs of socks in a pocket of the bag. "I'm packing."

"I can _see _that but-"

"Then why ask?"

"Why ask?" He gaped, "because I want to know _why!"_

"Because I told you I would, weren't you listening?"

"You-! You are being deliberately obtuse! _Stop it! _Why are you packing _my _things?!"

Marcus moved to the bathroom and started gathering Percy's toiletries.

"Marcus! Answer me!"

The larger man returned to the bag resting on Percy's bed and placed the toiletries bag inside it before purposefully zipping it up. "I've already told you why babe. I'm taking you home with me."

"You are not."

"Am too."

"Are not!"

"Am too."

"Are _not!" _Percy sputtered.

"Am too."

"This- this is _childish!"_

Marcus laughed, "Yes, yes it is." Then he looked Percy up and down, taking in the oversized shirt that swamped his thin frame and the comfy sweats he wore. He smiled softly- ignoring Percy's scowl- and grabbed a pile of folded clothes from the bed. "Here." He placed them in the redhead's hands. "You'd better change."

Blue eyes were wide with shock and the redhead could feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness and maybe a little bit of fearful vulnerability rise up in him. His thoughts were scattered, wildly flickering back and forth between a multitude of both related and random subjects. The folded cloth resting in his hands was like a life-line, and Percy gripped them desperately, knuckles white and hands shaking. His lips trembled and he quietly choked down a sob.

Marcus froze. Turning back to the redhead mere heartbeats after the sound reached his ears. Percy watched as he slowly made his way towards him, still clutching the cloth in his hands tightly.

"Percy, are you okay?" The tall man reached for him as he spoke, moving slowly and carefully.

"I-I don't… I don't understand why you're so certain this is real. I don't get it, I really don't. I- how are you so sure Marcus?" He flinched back from the other man's hand, holding the clothes defensively in front of him. "What makes you so sure?"

After hesitantly drawing his outreaching hand back, the vampire spoke. "You make me this sure, the connection between us, your scent, the feeling I had when I grabbed your arm a week ago in the Ministry. The absolute and undoubtable _knowing _that I felt when I touched you for the first time since I knew my mate was out there. The books and scrolls that I read before finding you, the ones that described the feelings and the scent of one's mate as so perfectly unique and special that it was impossible for me to mistake what you were- are- to me. The lessons and lectures that I sat through, the ones that explained my condition and told me how to handle it and how to understand every known aspect of it. Those lessons and books came straight from the source and I have little reason to doubt the Council's knowledge." He paused, letting his words sink in. "All of that is what makes me so absolutely certain that every part of this bond is real."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, oh." Marcus inched closer, "What makes you so sure it isn't?"

"I don't deserve something like this, and I don't think I ever will… And- and everytime something good does happen to me there is a reason for it, and that reason always leads back to what I owe my- to what I deserve for what I did."

Marcus growled softly, blinking back the red that lingered around his pupil. "We, are going to sit your brothers down and have a _nice _little _chat _with them as soon as I get the truth behind this bond through your ridiculously thick skull."

Percy gaped. "I never said anything about my brothers-!"

"Percy." Marcus interrupted. "Don't. Just… don't. I went to Hogwarts with you remember? And somebody would have to have been blind to _not_ notice that you were their favorite target."

"But this is different! I deserve-"

"If you say that you deserve to be punished I will bite you. And not in the fun way."

"Marcus!" Percy cried, flushing a brilliant red.

The man in question just grinned, winking at his flustered ginger before beginning to offer the man a compromise. "How about this; you come with me so that I can keep an eye on you and stop you from convincing yourself of some other half-baked idea on what it is you do and do not deserve and in return-"

" I will come with you, but on one condition." Percy seamlessly broke in.

"Name it."

"I want to talk to my brothers about this. And if-" _When_. "they admit to our bond being the product of a prank of theirs, you will accept it and you will help me free you from it."

The larger man breathed out a sigh of relief and Percy studiously ignored the light and bubbly feelings of happiness, determination and hope coming from Marcus' end of the bond. "Deal!" He grasped the redhead's hand, shaking it once before pulling him in tightly to his chest with one arm and grasping the fully packed bag with his other. Percy yelped, having only a brief moment to secretly melt into the other man's arms before being enveloped by the beginnings of the familiar pull of side-along apparition. He couldn't bring himself to care as he was somewhat kidnapped from his flat, the warmth of the taller man's body was incredibly efficient at drawing his complete attention. Marcus carefully adjusted his grip, pulling Percy in impossibly close before grinning widely down at the smaller man as he snuggled closer.

The pair vanished seconds later with a subtle 'crack'.

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><p><strong>I had originally planned on including a bit of the 'after' part of the apparition... but alas, Percy needed more convincing than I had anticipated. And this chapter would have been wayyy too bloody long had I continued with it. And this seemed like a pretty good place to stop.<strong>

**I would like to apologize for any and all mistakes present in this chapter. I have no beta and I didn't have the time to be as thorough as I like to be when editing my work. I will come back and review this at a later date, but don't be afraid to point out any annoying grammatical or spelling errors, and if I used the wrong word or spelt one wrong... let me know! It saves me time trying to painstakingly rake through this document trying to find all my bloopers :)**

**Thanks for reading Peoples! R&R to make my day!**


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